Sealing means for the work chambers in oscillating vane type fluid motors



April 24, 1951 A. N. ALLEN, JR

SEALINGMEANS FOR THE WORK CHAMBERS IN OSCILLATING VANE TYPE FLUID MOTORS Filed June 19, 1946 April 24, 1951 A. N. ALLEN, JR 2,550,180 SEALING MEANS FOR THEWORK CHAMBERS IN OSCILLATING v/ms TYPE FLUID MOTORS Filed June 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y- I I060 I 40 I 38 I I I 30 I 54 INVENTOR flrizauz'jllaflzieza J2".

Patented Apr. 24, T951 *SEALING MEANS FOR vLIBERS IN OSCILLA MOTORS THE WORK- TING-VANE TYPE Arthur'N. "Allen, ".713, East Win'dsor"Hil l,- Conn,

" assig'nor to United "Aircraft Corporation, 'Eas't Hartford; Conn, acorporation of Delaware Application June-19, 1946',- Scrial-No.- 675,678

9 Claims. 1 g

This application relates to improvements in fluid motor means, especially of the type disclosed .in the application of John E. Anderson and Arthur N. Allen, Jr., Serial No. 621224, filed October 9, 1945, and assigned to the assigneeof this application. This application is a continuation-in-part of the above-identified joint application of John E. Anderson and Arthur N. 'Allen, Jr.

The inventionrelates to sealing means for hydraulic vane motorsof the type used in the hubs of variable pitch aircraft propellers.

These motors are usually of the oscillating vane type having an inner cylindrical member provided with outwardly projecting vanes and an outer cylindrical member surrounding the center member and having vanes which project inwardly-into the spaces between the stationary vanes. :Either the inner or outer member may be. fixed and the other movable. This arrangement of vanes is such as to provide a plurality of peripherally arranged chambers between adjacentl'fixed and movable vanes so that'byadmitting high pressure fluid into the chamberIon one side of each movable vane and venting the chami her on the other side of these movable vanes,

. rotation of the movable member is effected. "The fluid pressures used are very high and as a result great difficulty is experienced in preventing leakage of the actuating fluid past the ends of the movable vanes.

It is an. object of this invention to provide improved means for sealing the vane ends in a vane motor of this type. More specifically it isan objeet of this invention to provide a sealing memher at oppositeends of the movable vanes and to provide means for urging these members against the ends of the motor vanes by a fluid pressure whichis substantially equal to' the actuating pressure in the vane motor chambers.

A further object of draulic vane type motors.

These and. otherobjects and-advantages of the.

the invention is to provide sealing means between the supporting members (aural-'38) bea against theend's of the motor to improve the construction and operation of hy-t invention will be hereinafter morei-ullypointed out in connection withthe accompanying draw 2 ings in Whichone embodimentof the invention is shown for purposesof illustration.

' In theseTdrawings, .Fig. 1 is alongitudinal sectional view taken through the center of the vane motor on the line I of.Fig.-'2;' N

Fig. '2 is a cross s'e'ctional view taken dnline 22 of Fig. 1; V

Fig." B-is a longitudinal sectional view taken" on line 3--P3 of Fig.2;

Fig.4 is a. plan View of the 'sealiiigm'einbr,

part of the member 'being broken away to facil itate illustration; p v --Fig. 5 is-a cross sectional view-taken on line 5-1-5 of Fig.1 4;

FigJG isa plan viewof anoil seal ring; ig 'lwis a cross setidilal 'VleWtaK''n 1'7 of Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a plan viewof an annular seal s'firififi, and.

"Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on:

line 9-4 of Fig. 8. s v

Asherein shown. a central cyuridricaimembe l0 which constitutes the vane motorcenterpo's't is seated,-with its axis extendingradially', on the propeller hu'b an'd includes I Surrounding and concentric with themeniber" ID is-a generally tubular'meinber I4 having'outwardly projecting vanes I6 -(Fig.2) In the 1ndtor shown two diametrical vanes I'Gare prdvided, and since the member 14 is-attached to the post It] .bysplines l8 the va'n'es" ['6' constitute the fixed vanes, or hydraulic abutments, of the i notor.

The outer rotatable member-go!" 20 of the motor isieurnaned'at one end, the iiiner end when mounted on theprop'ellerhub," on the flange l2 in a bearing 22 iiii'ldlfi rotatably attached to the interior of fthe propeller blade shank by vertical splines'l'id. Thelbai'rel 20 has inwardly 'projeeting'vanes 26 which are diametrically opposed andextendgbetween and rotate circumferentially' wan-respect tothelfiiied vanes is, dependin -on the now br il-into or out or annula chambers '28 "and 30, through suitable conduits including conduits 32' and '34, under contrl bf the pilot oran a 'utolfiatic 186V- erno'r. "The 'va'ne barrel io also j has a.-' recessed ndffia, th oiltr-lid when mountedon lih hub; to receive an annular-cover.meinber iw which is screw-threaded at 35a a to -the post [0, thus formingia cover for the inter-vane chambers of the motor. r

Conduits-36 and-3 8,,- similarlto conduits 3 Z -and 34;:a1'ez2150 provided so: that by; plugging-cheer the-other set of conduits the :motorcan be-used a bottom flange l2.

' vane in parallel extensions of recess 66.

with left or right rotating propellers. Herein the conduits 32 and 34 are closed by plugs; one of which is shown in elevation at 46 in Fig. 3. The motor shown is therefore adapted to operate a right hand rotating propeller.

The annular chamber 28 communicates through passages 42 and in cylindrical member 14 with the diametrically opposite motor chambers 46 and 48 respectively. The annular chamber 30 communicatesthrough passages 56 and 52 with the diametrically opposed chambers 54 and 56 respectively of the vane motor.

It will be evident that if high pressure fluid is admitted from the annular chamber'36 through passages 56 and 52 into chambers54 and 56, this pressure fluid acting between the fixed abutments' l6 and the movable vanes 26 will result in a rotation of the vane barrel 26 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. any .fluid which may occupy the chamber 46 and 48 win be vented through passages 42 and 44, upper annular chamber 2-8 and the connecting conduits into the propeller hub. Admission of high pressure fluid through passages '42, 44 to chambers 4-6;48 and the venting of chambers 54, 56 will result in a reverse operation of the motor, all in a well-known manner in this art.

The stationary vanes 16 are provided with packings58 which extend alongthe outer periphery of the vane and provide a fluid tight seal between the latter and the cylindrical member 20. Packin'g's'58 may be strips of leather or may be moulded or out from sh ets of fabricated material such as" rubber or plastics; 'As'shown most clearly in Fig. 2 the seal 58 which is received in an edge recess 60 inthejvane, is extended continuously from the outer periphery along the ends of the Movable'vanes 26 are similarly provided with packing 62 received in peripheral recesses 64 in the o. .7

Many devices have. been tried to prevent leakage of the high pressure actuating fluid from the high pressure chambersfto the adjacent lower pressure chambers around the ends of the vanes. The fluid'pr'essures used in propeller blade adjusting motors are very high (3000' p. s. i.) and the parts are subject to constant use in service and it has proved difiicult to obtain and maintain"a"seal at this point which will "be reliable over a long period of service.

In, accordance with oil seal ring 66 of triangular cross section is provided between the barrel Z and the relatively fixed flange l2 to provide a fluid tight seal therebetween. This packing ring is received in an annularrecess 61 in the barrel and an annular resilient washer 68 is provided having resilient ears 16 formed by radially inwardly directed slits 1:2 ,whichbe'ar on the inner oblique surface of the ring-66, certain of these ears-16a beingdeflected out of the plane of the washer at peripherally spaced points for a purpose later to be explained. The washer 68 has an angularly'related flan e I4 which overlies the flange l2 of the post member III. A similar packing ring 66 spring member 68 is provided between the barrel 20 and the annular cover 35.

'It will be, noted that the vanes minate somewhat short of theflange l2 which comprises the bottom of the vane chambersand the cover 35 which forms the top thereof and also that the cylindrical'member l4, which is the same length as the vanes, has annular right-angled the present invention anand annularv 1e and 26 a.

4 shoulders 69 which lie in the same planes as shoulders 69a formed by recesses 61 and 34a.

In accordance with this invention an annular washer-like plate member 16 is provided over the motor vanes in the annular space between flange l2 and shoulders 69, 69a and a similar annular member 18 is provided over these vanes in the annular space between cover 35 and shoulders 69, 69a at the other end of the vanes. The plates I6, 18 have flat confronting faces 80 which are seated at their inner peripheries on the shoulders 69 at opposite ends of cylindrical member l4 and at their outer peripheries on shoulders 69a formed by recesses 34a and 61 in the barrel 26. End plateflfi and, in turn, members [4 and 18 rest on flange 12 of the center port In and are clamped between flange l2 and screw threaded cover 35.

- ..During this movement On their remote sides the plates 16 and 18 have annular cut-away portions 62 which receive the flanges 140i spring members 68. These plates 16, 18 also have oblique inner and outer marginal surfaces, of which the outer oblique surfaces overlie the tabs 16 of the spring members 68 and, by reason of their engagement with tabs 16a, urge the plates 68 against the sealing rings 66. The plates 16 and 18 are thus well supported at their inner and outer peripheries and distribute pressures applied at diametrical points to the ends of all the vanes of the motor. The inner oblique surface of the plate 18 has a packing ring 84 in engagement therewith forming a seal between the post 10 and the cover at the threaded connection a.

Pressure in chambers 46 and 48 or 54 and 56 will tend to stretch center post [6 and relieve the clamping action of cover 35 on plates 16 and 18. Thus pressure in chambers 54 and 56, Fig. 2, for

example, will deflect plate 16 away from shoulder.

69a and, if the center post has been stretched enough by the operating pressure to relieve the clamping action on plates 16 and 18, away from shoulder 69 as well. This will permit fluid to seep past the ends of the vanes l6 and 26 and past the inner andouteroblique peripheries of the plates 16 and 18. This leakage oil is Prevented from escaping from the chambers containing the plates 16 and 18 by packing rings 66 and in the case of the plate 16 by the packing ring 66a and in the case of plate 18 by the packing ring 84. As a result, a pressure builds up on the remote sides of theseplates which to the actuating pressure in the chambers 54, 56. The segments of the plates l6, l8 whichare adjacent the arcuate chambers 54, 56 will accordingly have substantially the same pressures acting on the outer and inner surfaces thereof; but those segments of the plates which cover the arcuate chambers 46, 48 will have substantially no pressure inside and full line pressure outside acting to urge the plates into engagement with the shoulders 69 at the ends of cylinder I4 and the shoulders 69a on barrel 20, as well as against the packing at the ends of the vanes l6 and 26, thus effecting a seal between the several chambers 54, 56, 46 and 48 at the ends of the vanes. It will be noted that there are always two diametrically opposite chambers in which the resultant pressure on the remote side of the plates are acting to urge the plates into sealing engage-v ment, and the forces exerted against the remote sides of these plates at these diametrically opposite segments causes these plates to deflect in-,

is substantially equal I leakage.- Hence, it can be seen thateach plate is deflectedto a rippled-or, wave form with two high and two low points for providin sure. andsealing surfaces respectively.

It will also be evident that when the motor is reversed andthe chambers 54, 56 become the low pressure chambers and chambers 46, 48 become the high pressure chambers the oil pressure on theremote sides of the plates will be maintained in a continuous manner without further seepage pastthe end of the vanes.

As a result of this invention particularly simple and eifective means have been provided for sealing the ends of the motorvanes by which the former objectionable loss ofpressure fluid is eliminated at these points. Further, it will be evident that since the sealingfunction of the sealing member is obtained through the action of the very pressurewhich, operates the motor, this seal is obtained without the danger, which is always present with adjustable packings, of creating friction. tosuch a degree that the motor is unable to operate at the pressure available.

' Whilea single embodiment of the invention has been described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts Without exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent 1s: i

1. A seal for the end of a vane motor comprisinga member overlying theinter-vane spaces and the end of a vane, and mechanism for main.- taining fluid pressure on the side of said member remote from said vane end substantially equal to the .,van "movingpressure in the vane motor, means includingsaid member providing leak passages for fluid flow from said inter-vane spaces to said remote side, said means and said member forming a closure rendered effective by the pressure on said remote side for blocking -fluid flow from said remote side to an intervane space.

2. A seal for the ends of an oscillating vane motor having inter-vane spaces at opposite sides of a vane and oscillatable by application of fluid pressure to the inter-vane space at one side of said vane and venting of the inter-vane space at the opposite side of said vane and then application of fluid pressure to the inter-vane space at said opposite side of said vane and venting of the inter-vane space at said one side of said vane comprising, a member overlying said inter-vane spaces and the end of said vane and means for maintaining fluid pressure on the side of said member remote from said vane end substantially equal to the actuating fluid pressure in any inter-vane space of the vane motor, including means cooperating with said member to provide leak passages between the inter-vane spaces, and the side of said member remote from said vane end and rendered effective by a preponderance of pressure on said remote side of said'member over thepressure in a vented intervane space to block the leak passage between said vented space and said remote side of said member.

3. A seal for the ends of the vanes of a vane motor having sets of alternately arranged fixed and movable vanes, said seal comprising a plate overlying the inter-vane spaces and the ends of sources of pres the several vanes, said plate being movable by motor actuating fluid pressure so that fluid pressure, may leak around said plate from the intervanespaceunder pressure to the remoteside of said plate to subject the side of said plate which is remote from said vane ends to a pressure substantially equal to the vane moving; pressure in the vane motor. v 4. A seal for the ends of the vanes of an os-' cillating vane motor having sets of alternately arranged flxed and movable vanes, a fluid tight operating with saidplate, when the pressure onfthe remote side of saidplate from'said vane ends exceeds the pressure in an inter-vane space, to, seal said'last mentioned inter-vane space from said chamber and prevent bleeding of fluid from said chamber to said last mentioned inter-vane space.

5. In a vane motor, an inner member having outwardly extending vanes, an outer member having inwardly extending vanes, said inwardly and outwardly extending vanes being alternately arranged, a seal for the ends of said vanes comprising a plate overlying the ends of said vanes, abutment means on said inner and outer members forming seals for ripheries of said plate in'the plane of said vane ends, vane moving pressure in an inter-vane space of said motor leaking past said plate to the back of said plate so that fluid pressure back of said plate in maintained substantially equal to the vane moving pressurev in said motor for urging said plate against said abutments and said vane ends to render the seals effective with respect to an inter-vane space having a pressure less than the vane moving pressure.

6. In a vane motor, an inner member having a set of outwardly and the other relatively movable by motor ac tuating fluid pressure, a closure member for one end of said motor which is spaced apart from the adjacent ends of said vanes, sealing means disposed in the space between said closure memher and the ends of said vanes having a confronting surface subjected to the vane moving pressure in some inter-vane spaces and drain pressure in other inter-vane spaces and supported on said inner and outer members in position to engage and seal the adjacent inter-vane chambers against fluid intercommunication at said vane ends, said sealing means being movable to render said seal ineffective over the inter- Vane spaces having vane moving pressure therein for maintaining fluid pressure back of said sealing means substantially equal to the vane moving pressure in said vane motor while maintaining said seal effective over the inter-vane spaces containing drain pressure.

7. In a vane motor, an inner member having a set of outwardly projecting vanes, an outer member having a set of vanes projecting inwardly, the vanes of said sets being alternately arranged and one of said members being fixed and the other relatively movable by a fluid pressure diflerence on opposite sides of the vanes thereof, outer and inner closure members for said motor which are spaced apart from the ends of said vanes, annular plates extending over the the inner and outer peentire ends of said motor having confronting surfaces supported on abutments on said inner and outer members which lie in the same planes as the ends of said vanes, said plates being flexible and flexed by said pressure difference applied on opposite sides thereof so that fluid under pressure may leak around the circumference of said plates from the pressure chamber of said vane motor to the remote sides of said plates whereby fluid pressure is maintained on the entire remote sides of said plates substantially equal to the vane moving pressure in said vane motor. p

8. In a vane motor, an inner member having a set of outwardly projecting vanes, an outer member having a ,set of vanes projecting inwardly, the vanes of said sets being alternately arranged and one of said members bein fixed and the other relatively movable by a fluid pressure difference on opposite sides of the vanes thereof, outer and inner closure members for the inter-vane spaces of said motor which are spaced apart from the ends of said vanes, and deformable washer-like members in the spaces between said closure members and the ends of said vanes, supported on said inner and outer members in position to engage the ends of both said fixed and movable vanes, and deformable by said pressure difference applied on opposite sides thereof, and means including said washer-like member for draining fluid from inter-vane spaces under vane moving pressure for maintaining fluid pressure on the opposite sides of said members from said vane ends substantially equal to the vane moving pressure in the vane motor.

9. In a device having oscillating vanes, an inner cylindrical member having a set of outwardly projecting vanes, an outer cylindrical member having a set of vanes projecting inwardly, the vanes of said sets being alternately arranged and defining inter-vane spaces, one of said members being fixed and the other relatively movable by a fluid pressure difference comprising a motor actuating fluid pressure on one side and a lower fluid pressure on the other side of the vanes of said movable member, a closure member for the inter-vane spaces at one end of said motor, said closure member being spaced from the ends of said vanes to provide an annular chamber at said end, seats on said inner and outer members in the plane of said vane ends, a combined seal and valve member controlling the flow of fluid between said inter-vane spaces and said chamber comprising a flexible plate seating at its inner and outer peripheries on said seats and flexing under said pressure difference to permit flow of motor actuating fluid pressure from an intervane space to said chamber but sealing intervane spaces having a lower fluid pressure from flow from said chamber or from an adjacent space having motor actuating fluid pressure.

ARTHUR N. ALLEN, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

